MEASUREMENT OF SERUM IGE ANTIBODIES AGAINST JAPANESE CEDAR POLLEN (CRYPTOMERIA-JAPONICA) IN JAPANESE MONKEYS (MACACA-FUSCATA) WITH POLLINOSIS

IgE antibodies against allergens of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japoni ca, CJ) pollen in the serum of seven Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata) with pollinosis were measured by fluorometric indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All of the monkeys were found to have spe cific IgE to the crude pollen antigen. The specific IgE levels were we ll correlated with those determined by the Pharmacia CAP system. IgE a ntibodies were then assayed with two kinds of purified allergens (Cry j I and Cry j II) by the ELISA. We found that five monkeys had specifi c IgE to both allergens, although the other two had IgE only to Cry j I or Cry j II; there is different immune responsiveness to the two maj or allergens in the monkeys.